BIRDS OF LOCH AND MOUNTAIN 97 



and all bird life at once responded to the welcome 

 change. On the river Dee, some three or four miles 

 from its mouth, it was most interesting to watch 

 the Oyster Catchers migrating in pairs up-stream. 

 They seemed to take the journey very leisurely 

 and halted every now and again. In fact, three 

 days afterwards there were none to be seen at a 

 distance of thirty miles from the mouth, although 

 one flock had been heard passing up the river at 

 night. 



The birds seem to pair before they ascend the 

 rivers and keep together from the very first. Often, 

 a storm of snow visits their nesting haunts 

 not long after their arrival, and then many of 

 them are found dead on the river banks. It is 

 difficult to understand why they will not return 

 to the coast, however bad the weather may be. 

 But their motto evidently is, once having come, to 

 remain at all costs ; and after a severe frost it is 

 pathetic to see a pair of Oyster Catchers discon- 

 solately standing at the water's edge, seemingly 

 waiting for the sun's rays to put life into them. 



Six weeks or so after taking up their summer 

 quarters, the birds begin their family cares, and 

 towards the end of April or the beginning of May 

 the first eggs are laid. The hen bird usually scratches 

 the scanty hollow destined to receive the eggs on 

 a shingle stretch by the river ; sometimes, however, 

 the nest is situated quite away from water. It is 

 lined with small pebbles, and sometimes with a 

 few pieces of coarse grass. 



The birds have favourite nesting haunts, and 

 very often several pairs may be met with nesting 

 near each other. A very favourite nesting site is 

 a large island in midstream, covered with stunted 



